by Jordan Hanford
Texting, talking to friends, changing the radio are distractions that lead to car accidents on the roadways and in parking lots.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 15 people are killed daily due to others or themselves not paying attention to the road. Another 1,200 are injured.
Senior Jason Cecil was driving down White Oak Road five miles over the speed limit. After he reached over to grab his phone, he said he looked up to see a curve. He overcorrected causing his Explorer to flip.
Suffering from minor injuries, Jason climbed out of the car and found someone to call the police.
“The accident made me realize that I had messed up, and now I know not to text and drive,” Jason said.
Senior Katie Jones was driving to school on Messer Road during her junior year. She was about to turn into the junior parking lot when she looked away to wave at a friend on the side of the road. It was raining, and she was unable to stop her Jeep before she hit the back of the car in front of her, which caused that car to hit another car.
Katie said since her accident she has increased her following distance, and she was ordered to take driving school so her ticket would be dropped.
“It’s important to be aware of the traffic around you, especially when the weather is bad because the roads are slicker, and it’s not worth getting in an accident,” Katie said.
Both Katie and Jason received reckless driving tickets and could have lost their licenses.
School resource officer Don Profit said that texting cannot be the only reason a driver is pulled over, but if texting accompanies another action that can be ticketed, the driver can be charged with both.
He said that technology including iPods and cell phones are the major distractions to teenage drivers. He recommends that students put their cell phone in the glove box or in the back seat so that they aren’t tempted to use it while driving.
“For most new drivers, we talk to them in driver’s education, and their main goal should be the operation of that vehicle and driving it safely,” Officer Profit said.
Driver education teachers Tony Sorbello and Ann Owens both emphasize not using cell phones while driving. Mr. Sorbello said he uses videos in class that show gruesome crashes involving family members who die or whose lives are affected after a crash.
He said that drivers who text are 20 times more likely to be involved in a crash.
“It is important for them to be in touch with their family and friends, but driving is a primary task that should be the only task,” Mr. Sorbello said.
Senior Cheonte’ Harding crashed in JC Penny’s parking lot in November while using a cell phone.
“I was talking on the phone to a friend. I underestimated [the distance], and my car’s front fender hit the front fender of another one,” Cheonte’ said.
She said that she wasn’t charged with anything because the damage was small, but she has changed her habits in the car.
“I don’t put my phone to my ear anymore because I use a blue tooth instead, and I try to only text at red lights,” Cheonte’ said.
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